My Genealogy Hound

SAMUEL WILLIAMS, farmer, stock-raiser, and capitalist, was born in Fayette county, Ind., Jan. 23, 1834, but for the most part raised in Madison county, Ind., where he was also educated. His father (Joel D.) is still a hale old gentleman, seventy-three years old, living on a farm in Indiana. His mother was Fannie Walker, who died Oct 7, 1879, a native of Ohio. There were five children in the family. The subject of this sketch came to Jasper county, Mo., in 1879, and now resides upon his farm seven miles northwest of Carthage, having traded one acre of land in Indiana for two in Jasper county. Mr. Williams has been twice married; first in April, 1854, to Eliza A. White, who was born in Hamilton county, Ind., April 4, 1831. Her children are Wilson T., Sarah C., Joel D., and four deceased. She died Jan. 26, 1871, in Indiana. Mr. Williams was again married July 13, 1871, to Elizabeth Rhoade, who was born in Warren county, Ohio, Dec. 25, 1837, and raised in Indiana. Mr. Williams’s estate comprises over 800 acres, about 400 acres of it being under cultivation. He raised 4,500 bushels of wheat and 4,000 of corn, and quantities of oats, millet, and timothy, besides rented some farms to tenants, and there are nine acres of good bearing orchard. Both Mr. and Mrs. Williams are members of the Protestant M. E. Church. In 1854 Mr. Williams engaged in the milling business at Moss Island, Ind., combining a flour-mill, saw-mill, and a carding-mill. Subsequently, for three years, he was largely engaged in threshing, and the raising of horses, cattle, mules, and most kinds of stock, extensively. There are fine buildings and improvements on his home farm, and he is surrounded with all the comforts of a rural home. Mr. Williams has a farm of 240 acres in section 14, 161 acres in section 23, 160 acres in section 11, 166 acres in section 12, and 16 acres in section 26, township 29, range 82, of Marion township. He is still largely engaged in stock-raising as well as grain, and is a man who performs an immense deal of hard work, and transacts a big business. He has wonderful executive ability, good judgment, and business foresight, and is withal a self-made man, and a hospitable and generous-hearted neighbor and citizen.